20 September 2007

This Explains Much

After a match at D.C. United, one member of the audience at the post-game meeting asked the referee for his thoughts about persistent infringement. In particular, he asked what his threshold was (the number of fouls before he intervenes), because one player (Fred) had six fouls. That's a fair question, but the answer was not.

The referee replied: "I don't keep track of the number of fouls during the match. Too many other things to keep track of."...on the stage with the official was the in-stadium observer representing one part of the assessing process of MLS. He said not a word, thereby giving his tacit approval.

Now, in this case the question is why a DC player wasn't given a yellow for persistent infringement, but many of us have had this same question about a number of other games and teams (cough...Revs...cough). I think we understand a bit better now.

By the way, I'm not sure who the referee was. I don't find a record of Fred having six fouls in any game this season, but he's picked up a few. I'm guessing that it was the New England match, which would make the ref...oh, look at that, it's Abbey.

I hope it's not new england, they and chicago get away with constan tick-tack fouls, heel gouges and shirt pulls. because they commit thousands of them per game and get the whistle, but never the yellow. We've started to play that game too, and now they bitch.